Rivalen stood aside, allowing Roxanne to pass through the open doorway before him. He dipped his head in a subtle, yet elegant bow as she showered him with praises of his proficiency at his job. “Thank you, Your Highness,” he said with a smile. “I find it an honor to serve you in any way that I can.” He shut the door behind them, carefully balancing the stack of books in his arm so they wouldn’t tumble to the ground, and followed a few paces behind the princess.

Walking down the stairs was a surprising challenge for him. Not only did he have to continue balancing the novels, he also had to avoid stepping on the long train of Roxanne’s royal dress as she stepped in front of him. He adjusted his hold on the books as he tried to see his feet. It was a task that was easier said than done. He only narrowly avoided the shimmering fabric multiple times as it seemed to slither underneath him. He was just glad the princess couldn’t see him struggling behind her.

When they finally reached the bottom of the staircase, Rivalen was relieved. He sauntered up next to Roxanne so he wouldn’t be in the path of her enormous dress any longer and so they could talk more personably. Their subjects of conversation were light, but he was careful to guard his tongue, lest he slip up and reveal something to her that he wouldn’t be able to take back.

As interesting as the princess was to chat with, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was being cautious enough. Her affable personality made him feel like he was catching up with an old friend rather than getting to know a member of the royal family. It could be dangerous if he continued to let himself get so close to her, but how could he not, when he had been assigned to be her personal attendant? Surely it would be suspicious if he remained closed off to the woman he was to serve. He let out his breath in a soft exhale. He couldn’t, because of his father’s mission, but he had to for the sake of keeping his cover. It was quite a dilemma.

With his insides knotted in turmoil, Rivalen attempted to distract himself by examining the artwork on the walls. This corridor was different than the one Alain had guided him through earlier that day, and as such, this corridor had an entirely different display of paintings and tapestries. He was drawn by a particularly detailed piece of art that depicted a battle between the cavalries of two armies. Men in crimson armor raised lances against men in silver and black. At the forefront of the painting was a knight on a gray stallion that was reared up on its hind legs. The animal’s muscles rippled powerfully, seeming to move against the canvas, while the knight’s right arm cocked back, ready to thrust his lance into the chest of a man in silver.

The caption read: [i]BATTLE OF GLORIOUS CONQUESTS 1848[/i]

Rivalen strode a bit closer to the wall to get a better look as he and Roxanne passed the painting by. Whoever the artist was, he had done an amazing job. Every soldier had a unique face, and every horse had different colors in its hair. He pondered if the man at the front had been modeled after a real person, or if the artist had simply made him up too. Either way, the exquisite detailing almost convinced him that he was looking at an actual war.

Eventually, they reached a set of tall doors that reached up towards the ceiling that Rivalen assumed was the long-awaited library the princess had been raving about. He moved to open the doors for her, but in her excitement, Roxanne got to the lion headed knobs before he could. She grinned at him in that infectious way of hers before opening the doors to reveal a room more luxurious than anything the warlock had ever seen before.

The domed ceiling soared over his head, sloping down into glittering stained glass windows. Every visible surface was ornamented. Even the linings of the book cases were gilded in gold plating. The sight was simultaneously breathtaking and heart wrenching to Rivalen as he reveled in the library’s majesty and thought of the poor peasants of his home town.

“Grand is an understatement,” he breathed, craning his neck to gaze up at the stained glass. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” His dark brown eyes roved slowly over the room, from the windows, to the book cases, to the few people sitting at tables that were dwarfed by their surroundings, and finally back to Roxanne. “I can see why you enjoy spending your time here, My Lady.”

At her question, he paused to think of a suitable answer. Like many of the other things the princess asked him about, this subject was immersed in magic. He had learned to read so he would be able to understand spell books and ancient texts. It wasn’t exactly a hobby suited for the common man.

Rivalen approached a nearby shelf of books, studying the eloquent bindings of the spines. Colored patterns decorated the leather that so carefully held the pages together. Every item in the library was a work of art in itself. He passively speculated at the amount of money that sat collecting dust in this room of the castle alone.

Not wishing to dwell on such depressing thoughts while Roxanne held him in her expectant stare, Rivalen set down the stack of novels he was carrying on a table and slid a particularly beautiful book out from the shelf. He opened it and gingerly thumbed through the delicate pages, enjoying the oaky smell that wafted from the paper. After a moment, he turned back to the waiting princess. “I’d have to say I prefer tales of adventure and heroism above all else,” he mused. Though he had never actually read such stories before, the idea was appealing to him.

Carefully closing the book, he replaced it on the shelf and picked up the princess’s novels once more, walking with her to return them. “I see you’re drawn to tales of romance,” he noted, reading the cover of the book on the top of the pile in his arms. “Are there any other genres you fancy?”